An arctic cold front swept across southeast Minnesota during the morning of January 29. This system was accompanied by snow, with highest accumulations of 2 to 5 inches mainly along and north of a line from Austin (Mower County) to Wabasha (Wabasha County). Strong northwest wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph caused considerable blowing snow. In fact, blizzard conditions were reported in some locations such as Dodge Center (Dodge County), Rochester (Olmsted County) and Austin (Mower County). Conditions became dangerous very quickly as the snow started and winds dramatically increased. In Rochester, the temperature plummeted from 40F at midnight on the 29th to -12F shortly after 11 p.m. in the evening. This 52 degree drop tied a record for the sixth largest temperature change in a calendar day and was the largest temperature change in a calendar day since January 18, 1996.